Two Hazaras gunned down in Quetta

16 May, 2012

QUETTA: Two brothers belonging to Hazara community were gunned down in front of the regional passport office off Joint Road on Tuesday.

According to a senior police officer, the victims, identified as Muhammad Tahir and Muhammad Qadir, had come to the post office for their passports and were attacked outside its main gate at 7:15am. The assailants were on a motorbike and fled the scene after the killing.

“The two brothers were standing outside the main gate of the office and were killed on the spot, while another man of Hazara community received bullet wounds,” police confirmed.

The bodies and injured were taken to the Provincial Sandeman Hospital, where stringent security measures were in place to thwart any further attempt of terrorism. The injured, Manzoor Ali, was referred to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH) due to security reasons, hospital sources said. “It was a sectarian target killing,” a senior investigating officer said.

No immediate claim of responsibility was made. Police registered a case and further investigations were underway. It is pertinent to mention here that around 28 people of Hazara community have been killed during the recent wave of targeted killings.